A Classical Liberal Blog on Political Science, Economics, Philosophy, Law, and More

Dogs Again

We’ve posted a few times on dogs in the past. Here is one on whether it is acceptable to eat them. Here is another on whether you should take your dog to work.

Unfortunately, this time it is more serious. A dog owner in Chicago was recently attacked and killed by her mastiff.

I’m not sure there is anything political to discuss in relation to this sad incident. I do think a case could be made for why such dogs – or even any dogs – should not be allowed on public sidewalks or in public parks. That’s political, of course. But this case relates more to personal wisdom since the dog in question killed its owner on private property. So I have to honestly ask why people think it is a good idea to have a horse 140 lb non-human in the house. Live and let live, fine. My preferences aren’t yours, fine. But it just seems like a bad idea despite the admittedly low risk of a deadly attack. They slobber, they shed, and they often stink. And don’t get me started on people who have such large animals around little kids. Most importantly, dog bites are not rare. According to the American Humane Association, there are 4.7 million dog bites a year in the US alone and 800,000 lead to medical attention. I, myself, have been bitten twice (once by a Rottweiler, causing me to require medical care) while my cousin was scarred on the face for life by a dog.

One thing that really drives me nuts is when people allow their dogs to run leashless in the park, on the sidewalk, or in any other public space – and often even if there is a leash law since dog owners are almost always breaking the rules and then constantly telling others that their dog doesn’t bite (as if this justifies the violation). I often frequent a natural swimming hole in the woods that has a clear no dog rule. Yet it is a rare occasion when there isn’t a dog there, always unleashed and always scaring children.

Here are my suggestions for dog owners:

Enjoy the company of your dogs at home and on your fenced private property. Don’t allow them to bark with abandon, especially at night.

Don’t assume that other people like dogs as much as you do; respect their preferences just as you expect them to tolerate yours.

Care for your animals well and don’t leave them chained in the hot sun (as my in-laws neighbors used to do in Phoenix, AZ!) or outside in cold winters. Don’t abandon dogs even if you do not want them or cannot afford them. Treat animals humanely and with respect.

Eliminate nasty dogs from the gene pool.

Don’t allow your dogs to urinate and defecate on the private property of others; the fact that they are animals is no justification. If you wouldn’t do something on another person’s property, don’t allow your dogs to do so.

Don’t bring your dogs to public parks and other public spaces (with the exception of specific dog parks) even with leashes.

Don’t allow your dog to sit on your lap while you are driving. I see this more often than you might expect, especially among the older set.

Don’t bring your dog to work and impose negative externalities on your colleagues.

Keep your large dogs away from children – period!

And don’t act like your dog is a child. It really, really bugs the heck out of the rest of us, especially if you seem to have an aversion to ACTUAL children. It is great to love animals – but they aren’t people and there are a lot of real people around you who yearn for your attention.

Here is what the AHA recommends for dog owners:

Twenty-four percent of fatal dog attacks involved loose dogs that were off their owner’s property. Dogs that are allowed to roam loose outside the yard may perceive your entire neighborhood as their “territory” and may defend it aggressively. By obeying leash laws and taking care to properly fence your yard, you will not only be respecting the laws in your community, but you will also be helping keep your dog safe from cars, other dogs and unforeseen dangers.

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6 Responses

“Eliminate nasty dogs from the gene pool.”
If you mean “don’t let certain breeds of dogs to reproduce” than you really need to learn about dogs before writing about them.
In the vast majority of cases, dogs become aggressive because of the owners, not because their breed or size. Size, strength and bite don’t make a dog dangerous. They only make a dangerous dog more dangerous.

“Don’t bring your dogs to public parks and other public spaces (with the exception of specific dog parks) even with leashes.”
You can’t possibly defend that every public place is a no-dog place unless otherwise is explicitly stated. If you don’t want to be around dogs, visit only places where there is a clear no-dog policy.

“Keep your large dogs away from children – period!”
Large breeds tend to be more protective toward children and are more patient and much better at handling the abuse children give all animals. In case you didn’t know, Rottweilers and Pitbulls are actually great with children.
As any animals that coexist with humans, dogs need to be trained, well taken care of and to “know their place”.

You don’t like dogs and that is fine. But clearly you don’t know dogs and are simply being biased (because you were bitten by one?).

I’m the proud owner of a Rottweiler that was rescued from a shelter. I wanted to adopt a mutt but that was the one that “clicked”. I trained him as much as I think a company dog needs to be trained, taught him who is the alpha of the house and give him as much caring as possible. You can even take treats from his mouth without any problem.
Always walk him on a leash and use a muzzle if people around don’t feel comfortable. Not because he can hurt other people but because most people get scared when he approaches them to be petted. Also other dogs sometimes are aggressive towards him (usually from being scared) and “accidents” may happen.

Just one more thing. The more I know people, the more I like dogs.
Try being around dogs. You may actually enjoy it.

Great post and I do agree with you when you say that dog owners let their dogs off leash and tell you, “don’t worry, he does not bite”. That irritates the heck out of me. Yes, dogs need to be restrain when they are in a car. In case of an accident this dog becomes a projectile. You made very good points, and I do agree with the majority of them, but not with the fact that people with dogs treat them like children. Why? Because every person is different and this makes such person happy, just like I’ve seen parents smile from ear to ear when watching their children. Those that do not like dogs are not the only ones that have to put up with unruly dogs, which by the way is really up to the pet parent to train and make sure he/she does not bother others, but many others have to put up with unruly children. No, I do not agree with dogs or children bothering other people, period. But, if a dog is trained properly taking him/her out on a walk, leash on of course, should not bother others. Also, if a person knows that the dog will grow to an enormous size what he needs to do is make sure that he trains the dog in order to avoid horrible incidents like the one you mentioned. The dog is always to blame when in reality the responsibility and blame should be directed to the pet parent. Yes, the pet parent.

Dogs, cats, and other domestic pets are nothing more than slaves acquired by their owners to serve some selfish purpose. If I were king, keeping pets would be forbidden. Your list, Mr. Cleveland, strikes me as a reasonable compromise to my preferred rule.

It seems like Joaquim did a more than satisfactory job of highlighting the most inconsistent parts of the positions expressed. I especially liked the call out on leashed dogs in public spaces. If you don’t like the station, change the dial.

I would like to take a shot at defending my decision to allow my dog of leash in public spaces, even when leashes are required by law.

For me the convenience of allowing my dog to be off leash while taking out the trash or walking around the block is a substantial benefit, whereas the discomfort felt by those who are afraid of dogs, in most cases, is minimal.

The legality of such a decision is of no concern to me, as I have chosen to view laws as mechanisms to communicate cost, rather than moral imperatives. We all do things that are illegal when it suits us.

This defense clearly does not cover dogs who are a danger to the public, I do have some aversion to imposing unnecessary risk on third parties. But I do not see this as substantially different from someone who is tired and chooses to drive anyway, or people who insist on owning assault weapons despite evidence suggesting that it does very little to promote safety. (I believe there is at least some case to be made that dogs are much more effective at crime prevention than guns.) There are more effective ways to curtail the practices of irresponsible dog owners, than to assert that dogs really just shouldn’t be around.

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